Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[kpnut]

24 minutes ago, MargeandParge said:

Should we let Kate have her thread back 

I’m quite enjoying it. 😂😂😂 

But probably we’ve exhausted the ‘problem’ now. 

[Roy]

Sorry Kate I’ll just have my say lol 

That is how I learned to handle a boat I was brought up to respect the river and always wear a life jacket when on deck and that’s stayed with me though to adulthood. 

That’s the perfect age to fall in love with the broads far better than any computer game and your little guest will always remember his time aboard with you memories like that last forever 
Roy 

[Wussername]

All jolly good stuff. Rules and regulations. The Broads Authority by laws. And then for the hirer the terms and conditions that they sign up for may well supercede the former, the BA.

There is a contract between the hirer and the company. It could well state, and sometimes does state, Though shalt not allow a minor to helm the boat.

Irrespective of that which the BA states. Why bother....you presumably have insurance. Howeve that contract is binding, contravention is at your peril. If it states that an individual under say under 18 or 20 is at the helm is not insured to helm. I hope that you the principle, your name on the contract in all of this are aware. 

Just a thought.

[kpnut]

That was an interesting discussion stirred up through the simple act of teaching a youngster how to behave responsibly and considerately on a boat. 

He’s been through all the dials and switches on the dashboard, discussed why the nav lights are different colours and what that means, knows his port from his starboard (he’d heard those words before on some cartoon he’s watched), understood why he shouldn’t waste water or electric on board or flush the wc too much. Knows that yachts need respect as they do wierd things and to pass behind them, and keeps quoting what I told him this morning - ‘one hand for you, one hand for the boat’.
He also helped me pull the boat down the quay at How  Hill when Luna’s Nook became available and I’ll leave you all to speculate as to whether he had another day at the helm. 

We started the day bright and sunny with a cooked breakfast treat, followed by a walk up to the church, along the field edge where we talked about what sugar beet is grown for, and along the track leading to Horning Hall where we found a very hairy caterpillar. We didn’t get all the way as we discovered his boots were leaking. 

Excited to get going, we headed for Fleet dyke where I was very pleased indeed to see two of the newly cut wild moorings being used. We went round the Outer Broad spotting thatched roofs, and ventured a little way into the Inner Broad to spot the terns circling over their island nesting platform. 
By this time it was raining and getting windier by the minute. We moored up at St Benets for lunch, but opted out of a walk, choosing instead to head for How Hill for a visit to the secret garden (the azaleas and rhododendrons are about finished and there were lots of slugs and snails on the leaves of the flag iris) and Toad Hole cottage. The obligatory icecream was purchased, as well as an ISpy book and an ID chart for ducks, geese and swans. They’ll stay on board for other guests. 

This experience of having a youngster onboard has got me raring for my little 1yr old grandaughter to be old enough for inquisitive discussions. It’s taken me right back to my years as a childminder when mine were little, 🥰

 

[Gracie]

1 year old seems a good age to me, start em young I say  (behave Gracie)

Grace x

[SwanR]

That sounds like a most delightful day Kate. I hope you have more of the same today. 

[kpnut]

A slow start this morning as we had the electric eel boat at How Hill booked for 11am. 
After another cooked breakfast, we had a good walk up to Cromes dyke where we spotted some blue damselflies and some frogbit. 
Our trip on the electric boat went down very well, and was very informative. There was a bit of spare time at the end so the pilot took us downriver a bit, then wishing he hadn’t as Samson the Richardson’s rescue boat came up river with a HW boat in tow. We came in behind him, and waited and watched while he manoeuvred at the HW boat round his towboat and onto the moorings, no doubt to wait for the HW engineer to arrive by van. 

Interesting little extra for Sam to watch. 
 

 

[Norfolkangler]

Can we all come for a cooked breakfast tomorrow please

[kpnut]

9 hours ago, Norfolkangler said:

Can we all come for a cooked breakfast tomorrow please

Home now! It’ll have to wait. 😂

[kpnut]

Back on board as of yesterday afternoon. 

I had a rendezvous with a trombone on my journey down yesterday! 
I had to meet a man in a hospital carpark in Kings Lynn to collect a valve trombone my son had bought off him. 
Hospital carpark just ‘cos it was convenient. 
The man even opened the case on the ground behind his car to prove there was a trombone in there, put it together and I thought he was going to start playing. That would have got some attention. 
I duly ‘pressed some cash into his hand’, stood there while he counted it, and we went our separate ways. 

This morning I drove to Bungay for a meeting. Afterwards, it involved a walk round Falcon Meadow where the Waveney River Trust is applying for bathing water status.
I’d have stayed on afterwards to look round the village/town a bit more, but Finlay had been left back on the boat. He seemed unfazed by his morning ‘home alone’. 

We set off down the Ant about 3pm, straight into rain, but by the time I’d moored up at Irstead it had stopped. After a bite to eat, I took Finlay for a well deserved walk along to Neatishead and Gayes staithe - both half full.

I read the minutes of the Irstead parish council on the notice board along Shoals Rd. There was a report from the local policeman who said the incident with the fishermen stopping a boat from mooring a couple of months ago was being actively investigated and it looked like it’d be ‘a positive outcome’ - a bit ambiguous. And the parish council have confirmed that they have the same policy as the BA mooring, with anglers giving way to boats wishing to moor, and will be putting a ‘small sign’ to that effect at the staithe. It’s not been put up yet, but then it’s the closed fishing season at the moment. 

The other thing I noted was that the lease on the staithe has been renewed. But I wasn’t sure if that was a lease the parish has with the county council, or a lease that BA has with the parish council. It seemed to imply the former.
If I’d remembered my phone, I’d have taken a photo to be sure I’m not misquoting. 

It’s a very peaceful scene here this evening. I think yachts with  their overnight tents up always enhance the scene. 

[kpnut]

Maybe this is the ‘small sign’ the parish council mentioned in their minutes. 

For anyone unfortunate enough to need to make reference to it, it’s on the post at the carpark end of the grass.
I was hoping there’d be a sign on the mooring itself as it’d be so much easier to use in a discussion when coming in to moor. Maybe there’s another one to go up. I might ask the clerk. 

 

[kpnut]

I forgot to mention on Tuesday evening I took the car down the track to St Benets carpark to go and find Mermaid plus occupants in the moorings. Another good catch-up, thanks for the hospitality. I’ve walked down that track so many times butI didn’t realise how potholey it is at the rough end. The concrete road bit is a motorway in comparison. 

And now I’ve truly understood why saw sedge has its name. I was clearing a bit of space on a long established wild mooring that had got overgrown and the saw sedge got me a number of times. Ow. 

[kpnut]

For anyone needing to know today, Ludham Bridge is currently on about 7’9” just coming up to high tide. 

Sorry the picture’s a bit naff. I was busy!

[grendel]

I can see the cill on the bridge so there is probably an extra 3" on that, I know because I measured it.

[grendel]

with Water Rail I know if I can see the cill I can get through without lowering the canopy, I might not even have to drop the mast a little at 8 foot, If its slightly lowered such that I can reach it with the boat hook, then i can get through.

[kpnut]

3 hours ago, grendel said:

I can see the cill on the bridge so there is probably an extra 3" on that, I know because I measured it.

I noticed the cill, and thought - ah, that’s 8’ then. Grendel said he’d measured it. 
But thought I ought to only quote the gauge mark. 

[grendel]

somewhere I posted my sketch showing the measurements, but its 1/2" under 8 foot on one cill and just over on the other, meaning 8 foot in the middle, but if you need 8 foot, then I would say transit at your own risk after carefully checking your air draft, I know I have an inch or two to play with on the mast at 8 foot (probably 7'6" on the canopy) 

[kpnut]

I had a most interesting walk round part of Upton marsh this afternoon.
Firstly because Lulu and Desmond shared part of it with me. It was good to see Desmond and Finlay just ‘being’ together perfectly happily after Desmond quite rightly gave Finlay a little warning for invading his space rather noisily as Desmond was getting off the boat. 
After we said our farewells, I carried on across the field edge footpath near the junction of the road and carpark near South Walsham staithe. The field is planted with peas this year which might prove too tempting for me for snacking while out walking when the pods are swelling! (I’ll only pick a couple!!).
That took me out onto Marsh Rd and all I had to do to access the marsh was walk down past the farm buildings and onto their track. I love going up this track, especially when it’s dry, (it can be ridiculously muddy up there) and somehow today there was just so much to see and think about. 

I could hear the constant calling of a distant cuckoo. Finlay and a little deer (no idea if muntjac or Chinese water deer, I still forget which is which) encountered each other. The deer was standing on the edge of the track and didn’t run off when Finlay came along, totally oblivious to it. I think Finlay thought it was a dog and so just carried on doing his own thing. Then when Finlay was very close, he spotted it and they just stood and looked at each other, much like when two dogs greet each other. Unfortunately the deer then moved into the long vegetation before I could get a picture. 

The cows are back out on the marsh which must mean it’s dried out somewhat since the winter. There is a really good layout of grazing fields on this marsh. Either side of the track with gates at strategic intervals must make moving them very straightforward. 

In fact, it looks like a crop of hay has been taken off one field. The marsh seems to be in its ‘yellow’ phase; buttercups abound. 

I saw a marsh harrier, a heron and even spotted a sedge warbler.
There were loads of dragonflies and damselflies flitting about. 
Is this a four spotted chaser? It seems to have six spots on each side though. 

There was a lot of vibrant green fennel growing along the track, which I hadn’t noticed in other years. And then also a few patches of bronze fennel. 

There were also a lot of woolly bear (tiger moth) caterpillars on the track. 

When I got back to the boat, I nearly trod on a woolly bear who was just going about his business. When I brushed him with a grass stalk he curled up in a ball like a hedgehog for a minute or two, then uncurled and crawled off. He had beautiful markings on his head, like little eyes peering out from under his downy grey hairstyle. Of course, he could have been a she for all I know. 
I’ve read they are a favourite food of the cuckoo. The cuckoos will be feasting this year in that case. 

And now I seem to have the river to myself. So incredibly peaceful. 

[grendel]

here it is from my original post -

Quote

In response to my own prompt re ludham bridge, from the top to the concrete cills on the low side (ludham side) is 93 1/2" (7' 9 1/2") on the high side it's 99" (8' 3"), the high side cill is at this moment 2" above the water, and the low side 4" above the water, with the downstream board showing 7' 8" and the upstream board showing 7' 10" with the centre of the span averaged at 8' measured, this is I was told at low water - about 12.15pm on the 9th Oct.

The important fact is the cill to bridge measures won't change, so if both cills are visible there is a minimum of 8 foot clearance in the centre of the span, plus anything that the cills are above water level

so there is a 2" water level difference between cills, and 8 foot only if both cills are showing.

[kpnut]

41 minutes ago, grendel said:

but its 1/2" under 8 foot on one cill and just over on the other, meaning 8 foot in the middle,

It’s quite a wonky bridge, one side being noticeably higher than the other. 

[kpnut]

That’s 3 live ticks and 2 dead ones I’ve found today.

One when Sam and I were standing talking before departing, one on Finlay’s head when I brushed him out, and one trying to escape from him by crawling onto my leg. And two dead ones on his mat, having tried to feed and found the monthly treat of pesticide I dose Finlay with wasn’t to their liking. 
Dog owners - keep an eye out. 

[CambridgeCabby]

5 minutes ago, kpnut said:

That’s 3 live ticks and 2 dead ones I’ve found today.

One when Sam and I were standing talking before departing, one on Finlay’s head when I brushed him out, and one trying to escape from him by crawling onto my leg. And two dead ones on his mat, having tried to feed and found the monthly treat of pesticide I dose Finlay with wasn’t to their liking. 
Dog owners - keep an eye out. 

Which pesticide do you use please ?

[Lulu]

I have been checking Desmond after each walk this week. We do have a tick remover onboard.  I found a grass seed stuck in his thigh a few days ago.  Luckily it’s easy to see anything on him being a wipe clean hound

[YnysMon]

Graham doses our two with Simparica once a month for fleas and ticks. Gets it from our vet as part of a 'Pet Plan' which covers their annual injections and check ups. 

[CambridgeCabby]

Bramble is also on Simparica , I knew it is effective against fleas didn’t know it also countered tics